Someone To Love Me
by Zanessa4Life101
Summary: What's that? her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. Nothing, Gabriella answered quickly.I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the close." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not star."Why Troy"...
1. Chapter 1

Summary: "Whats that?" her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. "Nothing," Gabi answered quickly. "I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the closet." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not stare at the bruise. There was no way she was going to tell her mother what Troy did.

!Read to find out what happens in Someone To Love Me!

Chapter 1:

Gabriella Montez tripped over a stack of magazines in the middle of the living room, bumped her knee against the sharp corner of the coffee table, and dropped a can of cat food on the floor. "Ouch, my leg!" she howled. "This place is a freakin' mess!" Her two cats, Theo and Cleo, scurried beneath the table. Maria, Gabriella's mother, came out of her bedroom carrying a small mirror.

She peered at her reflection as she walked, carefully examining the lipstick she had just put on. "Stop whinin', baby. Just straighten things up before you leave for school. I'm late for work." "I'm not going to school today," Gabriella declared. She waited to see if her mother would get angry and insist that she go. Gabriella was a freshman at East High, and even though it was only October, she had already missed several days of school.

"You better go to school, baby," her mother said, touching up her eye make up. "If you drop out at your age, you'll end up like me, in your thirties waitin' tables at some grease pit for next to nothing. This ain't the kinda life you wanna have, girl. Believe me on that. By the way, if Mario calls, tell him I'm off work at five tonight. Bye, baby." Gabriella heard a thud as her mother closed the front door of their apartment.

Theo, a jet-black cat, crept warily from under the table, followed by Cleo, who was gray and white. Dust and crumbs from under the table stuck delicately to each cat's coat. Gabriella brushed the cat's fur, cleaned up the spilled food, and walked out to the kitchen. Theo and Cleo followed quickly behind her. "Mom doesn't really care if I go to school," Gabriella pouted, grabbing a fresh can of cat food. "All she cares about is Mario and whether or not she's put the right gunk on her face, right, Theo?" The cat blinked and rubbed its furry face against her leg.

Theo and Cleo were Gabriella's best friends. She told them everything. They were there for her whenever she was lonely or needed someone to talk to. It was more than she could say for Mom, Gabriella thought. "I ain't goin' anywhere today, Cleo. I'm stayin' right here and watchin' trashy talk shows all day. I don't care what Mom says," Gabriella said, spooning chunks of cat food into Theo's and Cleo's plastic bowls.

Just then the doorbell rang. "Who is it?" Gabriella cried, walking toward the door. "It's me. Open up," a familiar voice said. Gabi opened the door to find Taylor McKessie another East High freshman, staring at her. "Brie!" Taylor shouted. "Girl, what're you doing in pajamas? It's time to go to school." "I'm not going to school," Gabi said firmly. "Why don't you cut too? We can watch TV, and I got popcorn we can stick in the microwave. And there's pizza in the freezer, too. Today on Paula Poole's show-"

"Brie! Girl, get it together!" Taylor said, stepping into the apartment. "You need to throw on some clothes and come to school. Keep this up, you gonna be so far behind you can't do nothin' but fail." "You don't understand-"Gabi replied, looking down at the worn flip flops on her feet. "I understand all right. I understand you gotta get back on track," Taylor replied. "Remember in middle school, Mr. Schuman said you were such a good artist you could be a famous cartoonist for Disney or something? How you gonna be famous if you don't go to school?"

Gabi shrugged. "I can't hang around school all day, Taylor. I get bored. Who cares anyway? My mom wouldn't mind if I quit school. We all just wasting our time in school anyway. Ain't none of us goin' anywhere." "Brie, you're crazy," Taylor said tugging on Gabi's arm. "My sister, Darcy, she' already planning to go to college, and so is her friend Tiara. I'm gonna do the same thing, and you can do it too. But first you gotta get up, change them clothes and get to school. Now come on!"

Just leave me alone," Gabriella insisted. "Brie, please come to school." "Taylor, cut school with me today,"

Gabriella moaned. "If you don't wanna watch TV, I got some CD's we could play and-" "I'm outta here,"

Taylor snapped. "I'm not gonna sit here and watch you throw your life away!" Taylor stormed towards the

doorway. "When you want to do something with yourself besides sit here watching TV, call me," she said,

walking out the door and slamming it behind her. The loud crash of the door was followed by a heavy

silence.

Gabriella moved to the window and watched Taylor shift her backpack and join the stream of kids

heading for East High. Part of her wanted to join the crowd and head to school, but another pat of her did not

want to move. Unlike Taylor and her classmates, Gabi felt foreign and out of place t school. Her teachers

often said she was "quiet" and "shy" but Gabriella knew she was just different. Turning from the window,

Gabi grabbed the magazines on the living room floor and stacked them neatly on the coffee table. Then she

picked up a pile of dirty clothes she had left sitting in the living room chair for weeks.

"Yuck, these stink!" Gabriella groaned. It had been a while since she had washed her laundry.

Sometimes she just picked an outfit from the dirty clothes pile to wear to school. As long as things were

not too dirty or wrinkled, she would still wear them. It had always been this way. In fact, Gabi did have

a few new clothes that she got for the start of her freshman year. But as weeks passed and her mother

spent less and less time at home, laundry, like school, seemed less important.

Glancing around the cluttered living room, Gabriella focused on the small picture of her

mother that sat next to the TV. Mario, her mother's boyfriend, was also in the picture , his arm resting

on her shoulder like a heavy snake. Only a few moths old, the picture captured her mother's flawless

milk smooth skin and her radiant smile._ Mom is beautiful,_ Gabi thought, _and I look nothing like her._

Where her mother was tall, curvy, and attractive, Gabriella was short and skinny. But worse than her

short bridged nose. To Gabriella, it seemed to spread only a small amount of her face, making her feel that

her head was the size of a babies.

Friends of her mother had always been kind, but even they noticed how different Gabriella

was. _"Oh, I cant see a resemblance,"_ they would politely begin. _"You must take after your father." _

Gabriella knew exactly what they were trying to say, but she appreciated their attempt to spare her

feelings. The only person who did not seem concerned with Gabriella's feelings was Mario. _"Are you sure _

_shes your momma?" _ he had said. _"She is what a man would call one hot lady."_ Since then. Gabi did her

best to ignore Mario, but it was not easy.

Often he said things that made her feel even worse about her looks, but he always did it out of

earshot, calling Cindy "Ugly Mugly" and her flaring his nostrils to taunt her. Whenever Gabriella asked him

to stop, he would laugh in her face. Once, he even flapped his arms in a mock imitation of her long,

awkward limbs. In August, Gabi's mother announced that she and Mario were "serious," and since then she

spent most of her free time with him. In the rare moments Mom was home, all she would talk about was

Mario. Gabi cringed each time she heard his name. It seemed to her that Mario was gradually taking over

her Mom's life. Worse, it seemed as if that's what her mother wanted.

_**I hope you liked the 1**__**st**__** chapter of Someone To Love Me! If you guys were wondering this isn't like any of the HSM movies its just the typical life of Gabriella Montez Please at least need 5-8 reviews! Much love ~Zanessa4Life (P.S. There back 2together yayyy LOL)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: "Whats that?" her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. "Nothing," Gabi answered quickly. "I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the closet." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not stare at the bruise. There was no way she was going to tell her mother what Troy did.**

**! Read to find out what happens in Someone to Love Me!**

Chapter 2:

Alone in the apartment, Gabriella sat in the recliner in front of the TV and turned it on with the remote control. She had to push hard to make the recliner go back into a comfortable position. The old chair did not work as well as it used to, and Mom said she did not make enough money at her waitressing job to buy a new one. Gabi had believed her until she noticed her mother frequently buying herself new outfits to wear for Mario. It seemed that once a week Mom came home carrying shopping bags from expensive department stores.

When Gabi asked her about it, Mom explained that Mario had been giving her money so she could buy nice clothes, but this only made Gabriella more upset. It was as if Mario was buying her mother away from her, and there was nothing Gabi could do to stop it. Gabriella began flipping through the channels when he heard the bell ring. Annoyed, she turned toward the door and called out, "Yeah? Who is it?" "Mrs. Daniels, honey," came a familiar voice. Eva Daniels lived at the other end of the hall. She was raising her fifteen-year-old grandson, Jason Cross.

Once, in the basement laundry room, Gabriella overheard Mrs. Daniels tell a neighbor that Jason's mother died in childbirth, and his father never was in the picture. Gabriella got up and opened the door. "Hi, Mrs. Daniels." "Child, I heard the TV goin', so I figured you were home. I was worried about you. Ain't you supposed to be in school?" Mrs. Daniels asked. "Uh… cramps," Gabi lied, rubbing her hand on her stomach. "Poor thing! I make tea that's real soothin' for that. I'll bring you some if you like," Mrs. Daniels offered.

"No thank you. I just took something. I'll feel better soon," Gabi said smiling. Eva Daniels stared at her for a moment. Gabriella braced herself for criticism about not being in school. But then the old women began to smile. "Child, you got the prettiest eyes I ever did see." She said. "Me?" Gabriella said, stunned. "You must be thinkin' of my Mom. She's got real pretty eyes with long lashes, but my eyes are-" "I never noticed before that you got the pretties chocolate brown eyes, Gabriella," Mrs. Daniels added. "Folks say the eyes are windows to the soul. They believe you can look someone right in the eye and tell what kind of person they are."

"Some buy in school says I have freak eyes," Gabi said. "Now he and his friends call me that whenever they see me." Mrs. Daniels grabbed hold of Gabriella's shoulders and looked into her face. "Child, your eyes are beautiful, and don't you forget that. Pay no mind to what a boy says 'bout you. My grandson Jason tells me that some of them kids at your school can be downright nasty-when they start talkin'. Let 'em call you names. But its you who's got the prettiest eyes around, not them. Remember that."

As she spoke, Mrs. Daniels gently placed her hand on Gabi's cheek. "Some people need to see their own beauty they can believe they got it," she said smiling. Mrs. Daniels waved goodbye and headed down the long hallway. Gabi hurried to the bathroom mirror and stared into it. She stood for a long time, moving her face in close for a better look. Her mother had a mirror that magnified everything, and Gabi looked into that too.

Her large chocolate eyes stared back into her. _Did Mrs. Daniels mean what she said, or was she being nice? _Gabriella wondered. Leaving the TV on, Gabi jumped in the shower and washed her hair. Then she gathered her dirty clothes, took them downstairs and put them in the washing machine. When the clothes were dry, she brought them back upstairs, folded them neatly and put them into her drawers. It was the first time she had done her laundry in weeks.

After putting the clothes away, Gabriella found a pair of white jeans and two ribbed tank tops, one blue and the other green and yellow. _Maybe I'll go to school tomorrow wearing one of these tank tops, _she thought. Probably not, but if she felt like it in the morning, she might go. Mom would write a note explaining that she had been sick. Mom never seemed to care what excuses Gabi used to skip school. Gabi practically dictated them; always remember to vary the made-up ailments.

She used headaches until a nosy teacher started pushing her to see a doctor. Then she added cramps and fevers to her list of illnesses. As Gabriella thought about returning to school, she again recalled what Mrs. Daniels said about her having "the prettiest eyes." She grabbed her mothers magnifying mirror and sat on the recliner looking into it. Gabi tried hard to see what Mrs. Daniels saw.

"Maybe my eyes are pretty," Gabi said into the mirror. On Paula Poole's show, two sisters who were married to the same man were screaming at each other. The show kept bleeping out the bad words flying between them, and when they started pulling each other's hair, the audience went wild. Everybody was laughing and cheering. But Gabi did not pay attention to the show. She kept staring in the mirror, trying out different expression to see how they changed the look of her eyes.

Maybe she wasn't that bad looking, she thought. With her hair clean and brushed, she didn't think she looked as ugly as Mario said. And she had clearer skin than most of the other kids at school. Suddenly the phone rang. Gabriella put the mirror down and answered it. "Hello," she said. "Yo-who's this?" a familiar deep throated voice replied. "Its me," Gabriella answered. "Oh, Ugly Mugly," Mario Whitaker said. "How come you home? You get suspended for messin' up at school again?"

"I never been suspended," Gabi corrected him sharply. "And stop calling me that." Mario laughed. He always chuckled when he upset Gabi. She could just imagine him on the other end of the line-smiling in satisfaction at how he managed to insult her. "C'mon, Ugly Mugly. Where's your momma?" he asked, still laughing. "I told you to stop calling me that," Gabriella demanded. She wished she could reach into the telephone and wrap the cord around his neck.

"Girl, you so ugly," Mario went on, in between bursts of cackling laughter, "when the doctor delivered you, he was wearin' a blindfold." Gabi slammed down the phone. In about a second it rang again. She turned up the TV volume to drown out the ringing. One of the sisters on the Paula Poole show had a nail file, and she looked as if she was about to attack the other one with it. Maybe it was all an act, but the hate in the girl's face seemed real. It was the same hatred Gabi felt for Mario.

Gabriella fantasized about being on the show with Mario Whitaker. She imagined herself grabbing the gold chains he hung around his neck and pulling them so tight his eyes bulged out. The phone kept ringing. "I ain't gonna answer you. You can't make me." Gabriella smiled because for once she had power. Mario Whitaker was fuming somewhere, and he could not do anything about it.

Ignoring the phone's periodic ringing; Gabi picked up the mirror again and repeated the words that Mrs. Daniels had said. "Pretty eyes…pretty chocolatey eyes." Maybe Mrs. Daniels was not the only one who thought she was special. Maybe someone else would feel that way about her too one day. Then the door bust opened.

**I hoped all of you loved this chapter! Please review at least need 5-10 reviews! Luv ya much xo**

~Zanessa4Life101


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: "Whats that?" her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. "Nothing," Gabi answered quickly. "I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the closet." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not stare at the bruise. There was no way she was going to tell her mother what Troy did.**

**! Read to find out what happens in Someone to Love Me!**

Chapter 3:

When Gabriella's mother got home shortly after 5:30(when the door busted open, that was the mom), the phone was still ringing. She rushed in to answer it, tossing her purse and keys on nearby chair. "Hello," Mom huffed, picking up the phone. "Oh, hey Mario. What do you mean you've been calling all day? Gabi was right here. GABI!" Gabriella glanced up from the magazine she was leafing through. "Mario's telling me he's been calling all day and nobody answered. Did you go somewhere?" "I been right here except when I went down to do the wash, and oh, I took a shower and stuff," Gabi said.

"She what?" Mom cried. "Well, she's gonna be sorry she did that. Mario honey, don't be like that. Listen to me, I've got chilled wine, and I'll make us some steaks…Mario, honey, listen…Mario?" Mom put down the phone and glared at Gabriella. "You just have to make trouble, don't you? Mario says you hung up on him. Did you do that?" "He's a liar, Mom. He ain't nothin' but a liar," Gabi insisted. "You tell me the truth, girl. You look me in the eye and tell me you didn't hang up the phone on him." Her mother demanded.

"Okay, yeah, I did," Gabriella admitted, throwing down the magazine. "But where does he get off calling me ugly all the time? You don't hear the stuff he says to me behind your back. How come it's okay for him to do that?" Gabi glared at her mother, fighting back tears of anger and hurt. "Aw baby, he don't mean nothing when he talk like that. He's just playing. It's a bad habit he got from the street. Don't you know that by now? He's just like a little boy who likes to tease all the girls, that's all," her mother complained.

Gabriella did not want to excuse Mario's behavior, but her mother's words calmed her. "Well, I'm sorry I hung up on him, but he better be sorry for callin' be names too," she said. "Come 'ere, baby," Mom said, "I've got something for you." Digging in her purse, she fished out two shiny tubes of lip stick. "I picked these up today at the drugstore, and one's for you. What do you think of this color?" Gabi took the offered lipstick and put it on. "It's nice, Mom," she said, glancing in her mothers compact mirror. "Thanks."

Her mother smiled and gave her a hug. "Baby, there are TV dinners in the fridge. There's beef stew and oriental chicken. I'm gonna change and go out for a little while. You don't mind, do you?" "It don't matter anyway," Gabi mumbled, shrugging her shoulders. "What did you say?" her mother asked, turning around quickly. "Nothing, I didn't say nothing," she lied. Gabriella was disappointed. She had hoped her mother might stay home for dinner, and then they could watch TV or rent a movie.

Gabriella thought they might even make popcorn after dinner and talk. It had been so long since they had spent time together. Since Mom and Mario started dating, Gabi often spent evenings alone in the apartment. Nights were the worst. Theo and Cleo were there, but what she longed to hear most was another voice. "Uh, why don't you ask a girlfriend over, baby?" Mom said, seeming to sense Gabriella's sadness. "Maybe Taylor or Martha could come over. Ya'll always have fun together."

"They don't want to come over here to this messy place," Gabi said bitterly. "Gabi, don't talk like that. Just because there's a little dust on the furniture doesn't mean we're not as good as the McKessies and the Cox's. I won't be that late tonight, baby. Now come on and give me a smile." Gabi turned away, and her mother let her go. Gabriella heard her walk down the hallway to the bathroom. Soon she heard the shower turn on. After that, Mom would dress up for her date. It was the same routine as on so many other nights. All her mother ever did anymore was spend time with Mario.

"Do I look all right, Gabi?" Mom asked, walking into the living room in a short black dress that showed off her long, shapely legs. "Yeah, Mom," Gabi answered, pretending not to pay attention. She thought her mother looked beautiful. She looked like Gabriella knew she herself could never look, not with all the lipstick and pretty dresses in the world. "So what time you think you'll be home?" Gabi asked. "Oh, I'm not sure. Don't wait up for me. Tomorrow's a school day, and you can't be missing any more days."

"Whatever," Gabi mumbled. "Call Taylor. I'm sure she'll come over." Mom said, clutching her purse. Seconds later, Gabi heard the apartment door close. Her mother was gone. Overwhelmed by the silence in the apartment, Gabriella decided to call Martha. "Martha, I got popcorn and pizza and lots of movies on TV. Why don't you come over?" Gabi said. "I can't, I gotta baby-sit my brothers and the baby." Martha replied. "Plus, I gotta work on a science project."

"Oh, okay," Gabi said, abruptly hanging up the telephone and calling Taylor. Though Taylor had scolded her early in the day, Gabi was sure she would still come over if she could. Last year, when they were both in middle school, Taylor had a lot of problems. First she got involved with an abusive guy form East High named Troy Bolton, and then she ran away from home and nearly died in the process. During that whole time, Gabriella had tried her best to support Taylor.

Now Taylor always talked about someday returning the favor. Recently it seemed as if things with Taylor were better, while things in Gabi's life kept getting worse. Once Gabi joked about needing Taylor to help her out, and Taylor said,_ "I got your back, Brie. Remember that."_ "Hi, Tay." Gabi said, glad Taylor answered the phone. "Hey Brie," Taylor said cheerfully. "what's up?"

"My mom is out tonight, and I was wondering if you want to come over and watch a movie with me. I got lots of popcorn and-" "Girl I'd come over if I could," Taylor said, "but my dad got a raise at work, and we're all goin' out to celebrate. Mom made reservations at this fancy restaurant. We're gettin' dressed up and everything. Maybe next time?" "Yeah" Gabi responded sorely. She was jealous of Taylor. Sometimes Taylor complained about her family, but at least she had one.

Sitting in her lonely apartment, Gabi would have traded places with Taylor in a heartbeat. "Hey are you coming to school tomorrow? I got so much to tell you." "Yeah, I'm going," Gabi said, but in her heart she doubted it. "Night, Tay." Gabi hung up, and emptiness descended on her like a thick, bleak fog. "Nobody is coming over, Theo." Gabriella said. The cat rolled over on the floor, yawned and went to sleep.

**To be continued….**

**Sorry peeps but I have to make a cake, but you can still leave reviews about what you thought about this chapter! Luv ya'll**

**Zanessa4Life101**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: "Whats that?" her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. "Nothing," Gabi answered quickly. "I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the closet." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not stare at the bruise. There was no way she was going to tell her mother what Troy did.**

**! Read to find out what happens in Someone to Love Me!**

Chapter 4:

Gabriella debated if she should walk down to the sandwich shop at the corner. It was only 7:00, but after sunset, the neighborhood near her apartment could be dangerous, especially for someone walking alone. Deciding to stay home, Gabi went to the fridge and found several TV dinners stacked in a corner of the half-empty freezer. She passed them up for an ice cream bar, returned to the recliner, and turned on the TV. A comedy was on about aliens who came to live on Earth.  
Gabriella felt like the aliens on the show, different from everyone around her. She had felt this way for years. When she was a young child, Gabi spent very little time with her mother. Years later, she learned Mom had been a drug addict. All Gabi remembered was that her mother would often stay locked in her bedroom for days. Whenever that happened, Aunt Bernice, Mom's older sister, would come over to take care of Gabriella.

She looked forward to Aunt Bernice's visits, even though it meant her mother would be unavailable for a while. Aunt Bernice made delicious apple-cinnamon cookies whenever she came over. _"The Lord will see us through this, Briella. Yes he will." _ She would say as she baked. Often, Gabi would help with the cookies. Her favorite part was the batter, which Gabi liked to eat when Aunt Bernice was not looking.

Once, when Gabriella was in Elementary School, she stayed with Aunt Bernice for entire summer, and Mom went into drug rehab. Gabriella remembered that summer as her happiest. Each day she would go to the beach or the park with her aunt and play with the kids from the neighborhood. Then one day Mom took Gabi back, and for a while everything was great. Mom was drug-free and loving, and they were a real family. But when Gabi was twelve, Aunt Bernice got sick with Breast Cancer.

Her health declined rapidly, and in a matter of months, she died. Mom cried for days when Bernice died. Many months later, Mom sat Gabriella down, confessed her former drug problems, and vowed she would never use drugs again. _"I'm going to get you a better life, baby," _she had promised. Gabriella remembered that conversation often as she sat in the lonely apartment. It was a special time in which she felt important to her mother- a feeling she no longer had.

Gabriella noticed that their relationship began to change for the worse when her mother started dating. At first, Gabi thought her mother was happy to be going out. But after several breakups, she became increasingly frustrated. _"It ain't right for a woman my age not to have herself a man," _she said one night, as she got ready to go out. At times, it seemed to Gabriella that Mom was desperate. _"I ain't getting any younger, mija. I don't wanna be one of those women who end up living alone, like some old maid," _she admitted after a particularly bad date.

Gabi tried to reassure her mother, but it seemed to her that Mom never listened. Instead, she would find another man. Once, she dated a guy named Eddie for a few months, but he turned out to be an alcoholic. Then she dated David, a married man who had five kids. Along the way, there were other men who were in the picture for such short time that Gabriella never got to know them.

Then Mario came along like a bad dream. Mom called him "keeper" and said she was in love with him. She even admitted one night that she would like to marry him. The news sickened Gabi. She did not trust Mario from the moment they met. A few times, she told her mother what she thought. But Mom always defended him._ "You never give Mario a chance,"_ she insisted. _"He's a sweetheart." _But as far as Gabriella was concerned, there was nothing sweet about him. Ever since he arrived, Mom spent less time at home and paid less attention to Gabi.

Even worse, Mario could manipulate Maria into doing whatever he wanted. Sometimes Mom would cancel rare plans she had with Gabriella just to be with him._ He doesn't care one bit about anything but himself, _Gabriella thought. She could not imagine worse than him being her stepfather. Leaning back in the recliner, Gabriella wondered where her mother and Mario were. She figured they probably ended up at some noisy nightclub. Mom was probably laughing as if she did not have a care in the world.

The more she envisioned her mother having a good time, the sadder Gabriella became. Tears welled in her eyes. Turning the TV off, she went into her bedroom and flopped onto her bed. "Someday, Mom you'll wish you didn't leave me alone all night," she murmured. "Someday you'll know you made a big mistake." The bitter thoughts gave Gabriella a kind of comfort, and drifted off to sleep.

**Review Please!**

**Short and simple! Lol**

**~Zanessa4Life101**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: "Whats that?" her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. "Nothing," Gabi answered quickly. "I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the closet." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not stare at the bruise. There was no way she was going to tell her mother what Troy did.**

**! Read to find out what happens in Someone to Love Me!**

Chapter 5:

In the morning, Gabi went to the bathroom and threw cold water on her face. She heard her mother in the kitchen making coffee. Gabriella thought about her classes at East High-history, algebra, and English-and all the missed assignments she would have to make up. There was just no way could she catch up, so she decided to stay home from school again. "Good morning, baby," Mom sang out cheerfully when Gabriella arrived in the kitchen. "What kinda cereal do you want? I bought that variety pack you like, the one with all the little boxes."

Gabriella chose a box of frosted corn flakes and dumped its content into a bowl. Without a word, she poured milk onto the cereal. Grabbing her spoon, Gabi remembered how Aunt Bernice used to make homemade waffles with warm maple syrup. Everything tasted so much better when Aunt Bernice made it. She would sing gospel songs the entire time she was cooking. "Mario was so sweet last night. We had such a good time, Ella," her mother beamed. "By the way, he's not mad at you anymore."

"Great," Gabriella said smugly. Just then, Gabi heard a knock on the door. She got up to answer it, grateful to escape another conversation about Mario. Gabi found Taylor at the door adjusting her backpack. "Brie! What're you doing in that old rope? It's time to get dressed for school," she cried. "I'm not going to school today," Gabriella said. "I know I said I would, but I changed my mind." Then Gabi's mother stuck her head into the hallway and said, "Hi, Taylor."

", she has to go to school, doesn't she? Make her go!" Taylor pleaded. Gabriella's mother shrugged. "I keep tellin' her if she don't get an education, she's gonna end up just like me, waitin' tables for the rest of her life. But what am I supposed to do? I'm only a mother. Who listens to mothers anymore?" She sighed, as if she were commenting on a story she had heard on the evening news. "Good luck getting through to her, Taylor," she said, heading back to the kitchen.

"Gabriella, get dressed and cone to school," Taylor urged, tugging on Gabi's arm. "You can still make it to school before the first bell. You wanna be like those kids who hang out at the corners watching the lights change from green to red?" "I have tons of work to make up. There's no way I can do it," Gabi wailed. "Yes you can. The English project in Mr. Mitchell's class isn't due for a while. I'll be your partner. We can work together. I've done a lot of the work already. I'll help you in the other classes too…please Brie," Taylor begged. "Girl, you gotta go to school."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Gabriella groaned. "Why you always tryin' to tell me what I should do? If my moms don't care, why should you?" "Because were tight. That's what friends do right? When things were bad for me last year, you stuck with me, Gabriella. When Troy Bolton beat me up, you brought me here and helped me clean up so I could go home without my family knowin' what had happened." "That's different," Gabriella said, shrugging her shoulders.

"No its not. Now its time for me to help you," Taylor replied. "Go change your clothes, and hurry up. We can still get there by the first bell." Reluctantly, Gabriella gave in. "Oh, okay. Anything to make you stop naggin' me. But I'm telling you, don't count on me going tomorrow." Gabriella quickly washed, went into her bedroom and put on the jeans and the tank top that she had rediscovered the day before. Soon she and headed towards East High. As they reached the street, Gabi saw Jason Cross up ahead. She remembered the words his grandmother had said to her the day before "_You have the prettiest chocolate-brown eyes." _

Walking to school silently with Taylor, Gabi worried about what her teachers would say about her many absences. She worried about her mother and what would become of her relationship with Mario. But worse, she wondered if things between her and Mom would ever improve. Feeling a knot in her stomach, Gabriella tried to push the worries from her mind. Again, Mrs. Daniel's words echoed in her mind. _"Prettiest chocolate-brown eyes."_ Gabi knew words could not solve her problems, but she held them close to her heart as she walked through the tall steel doors of East High School.

When Gabriella arrived at English class, Mr. Mitchell fixed his gaze on her. "Miss Montez," he said, his voice seeming to catch on her last name. Gabi braced herself for criticism. "I need to see you after class." _Great_, Gabi thought. _I'm back in school two minutes, and I'm already in trouble! _She knew he was going to lecture her for missing so much school. When Mr. Mitchell referred to a student as Mr. or Miss, it usually meant trouble. During the entire class, Gabriella worried. She kept looking at the clock, counting the minutes until M. Mitchell would yell at her.

"Why did I let you drag me to school?" she whispered to Taylor towards the end of class. Taylor just shrugged. When the bell finally rang, the room emptied quickly, leaving Gabriella and Mr. Mitchell. He was wearing a checkered green tie and red shirt that contrasted with his dark skin.

"Uh," Gabi began, "I'm sorry I missed so much school, but see-." "Excuse me, Gabriella," said Mr. Mitchell, leaning back and pushing his glasses up on his nose, "but when you came to East High, you indicated cartooning as one of your interests. The other day, I was looking at last year's middle school newspaper, and I found some of your work. It was great! You've got a lot of talent. So I was thinking, the East High wildcats needs a cartoonist. What would you think of trying your hand at it?"

For an instant, Gabriella turned numb. She had expected to be lectured, not offered a job. "Well…yeah, that'd be…I mean, sure, I'd love to do that," Gabi stammered. She had always loved to draw, but lately, with all the problems at home, she had sort of abandoned it. "There's just one condition-you can never miss a deadline. If you promise a cartoon and don't deliver, you are off the paper. Are we clear on that?" Mr. Mitchell said crisply. "Yeah, sure," Gabriella said. "Okay then. After school go see . I already mentioned you to her. She's eager to have you on the staff. Good luck, Gabriella."

"Thanks!" Gabi said, stunned. It was the first time since she came to East High that she felt excited by something. She couldn't wait to tell Taylor what had happened. "Hopefully, I'll be seeing more of you in my class in the future," Mr. Mitchell added, as she walked towards the door. Gabi nodded, knowing that he was referring to her poor attendance, "You will," she said with a smile. "Thanks, Mr. Mitchell." At lunchtime, Taylor and Sharpay squealed, with excitement when Gabriella shared the good news with them.

"That's great!" Taylor cheered. "One day, you'll be famous." "You go, girl!" Sharpay cheered. "I just hope they like my drawings," Gabriella said, feeling unsure of herself. "Of course they will," Taylor replied, reaching for her soda, and then taking a quick sip. "This is the best news ever." "Yeah, I can't wait to see your first cartoon in the school paper," Sharpay chimed in. "I'm gonna frame it." Just then, Gabriella noticed a boy across the lunchroom watching her. At first, Gabi wasn't sure who he was-only that he was tall, with broad shoulders and blue eyes. But then she recognized his face.

…to be continued…JkJkJkJk!

"Is that who I think it is?" Gabriella asked. "Him?" Taylor said shaking her head. "That's Troy Bolton, the one who tried to turn me into a punching bag." "I can't stand the sight of him ever since I found out what he did to you," said Sharpay, rolling her eyes disgustedly. "I see the way he sweet-talks girls in front of their lockers all the time, like he's so smooth." "Well, he is smooth all right, I'll give him that," Taylor said. "But if they knew what I know, they'd stay far away from him."

"He looks different. I hardly recognize him," Gabi said pretending not to notice him. Troy continued to stare at her, and Gabi wasn't sure, but it looked as if he was smiling. Sharpay chuckled. "You been away from school so much, I'm surprised you remember what East High looks like. But all that's gonna change now that you're a big newspaper artist, right?"

"That's right, Shar," Gabi said laughing. "Soon you'll have to call my secretary if you want to see me." Gabriella enjoyed the idea that at last she had something in her life that other people thought she was cool. She wondered what her mother would say when she told her the news. She hoped Mom would be excited. Maybe, for once, she'd be proud. Maybe she would even skip a night with Mario to spend time at home.

_**I hope ya'll liked..no loved this chapter! Review PLEASE! I thought the smiling Troy thing was sexy did you think so? Please tell me if you did bcuz really wooo! Lol ok well another chapter will be up shortly but 1**__**st**__** you need to review!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: "Whats that?" her mother asked, pointing to the bruise on Gabriella's wrist. "Nothing," Gabi answered quickly. "I bumped myself when I was getting something out of the closet." Gabriella moved her arm as she spoke so her mother would not stare at the bruise. There was no way she was going to tell her mother what Troy did.**

**! Read to find out what happens in Someone to Love Me!**

**A/N: I know I said that I was going to wait but I just can't help myself! And 'I Can Transform Ya' will be up by tomorrow or Friday!**

Chapter 6:

After school, Gabriella went to Mrs. Abbott's classroom. She was a pretty, dark-skinned woman who taught English and speech. She was also the advisor for the East High. Gabi liked her immediately because she seemed warm and enthusiastic. "Remember, Gabriella, you're on the newspaper staff now. Don't let me down," she said. "No way, Ms. Abbott. I'm really excited about this," Gabi responded. "I wouldn't do anything to mess it up." Ms. Abbott and Gabriella discussed several ideas for upcoming issues of the paper.

"Your first assignment," Ms. Abbott said, "is to draft a sketch to accompany an article on the cafeteria food." Gabi had ideas for the cartoon immediately, and she shared them with Ms. Abbott. "They sound great! I can't wait to see what you come up with." Ms. Abbott smiled. "I can see why Mr. Mitchell recommended you." Gabriella was beaming when she left Ms. Abbott. School had been over for nearly a half hour, so most students had cleared out, except for those involved in after-school activities. As Gabriella rounded the corner of a long corridor, she bumped into a student coming from the opposite direction. It was Pedro Ortiz, a six-foot tall senior that everyone recognized. Even when she was in middle school, Gabi had heard many rumors that he was involved with gangs.

"Watch where you goin', girl," he said as she bounced off his wide chest. "Sorry," Gabi replied, turning away quickly. She did not know him at all, but something about him gave her the creeps. He seemed to lurk around East High, rarely speaking to anybody. She wondered what he was doing hanging around so late after school. Gabriella rushed outside to get away from Pedro. As she reached the East High parking lot, she heard a horn honking. She looked up to see a black Nissan not far away. Behind the wheel was Troy Bolton. "Hey, baby, want a ride home?" he shouted.

Gabi looked around. Surely he wasn't talking to her! Guys didn't talk to her that way. No one other than Mom had ever called her "baby" before. She started to walk home, but then the horn sounded again. "Your name is Gabriella, right?" Troy asked. "Yeah," Gabi said warily, remembering how Troy had hit Taylor. Gabriella did not trust any guy who could hit his girlfriend. "I think I'll walk home, thanks." "You mean to tell me that you'd rather walk than ride?" Troy said with a sly smile. "I'd rather walk than ride with you," Gabriella replied, picking up her pace. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Troy Bolton, I ain't new at this school," Gabi retorted. "I know about what happened with you and Taylor McKessie last year."

Troy parked his car and jumped out. "Hey, Gabriella, I know where you're comin' from, and I don't blame you for wantin' nothin' to do with me. Taylor McKessie has been dissin' me, but what she says ain't necessarily so, Gabriella. We were both messed up last year. Me and Tay both were doin' some crazy stuff. She's movin' on now, and so am I. Give a man a chance." "Why should I?" Gabi asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Why should I give you a chance?"

"Because I want to get to know you better," Troy replied, sounding sincere. "And I think you want to get to know me better, too. Just give me a chance, Ella." Gabriella hesitated. Troy was very handsome, with light blue eyes, shaggy brown hair and broad muscular arms/shoulders. Gabriella was flattered by his attention. "Come on," he urged. Gabriella was torn. She knew her friends would disapprove if she went with him, but they had all taken rides with boys before. No boy had ever talked to her like Troy did.

And he seemed so sincere. "I guess it'd be okay to ride with you," she said. "But you have to take me straight home." "Deal," said Troy. He smiled as they walked to his Nissan. And as they got into the car, he said with a wink, "You are lookin' good girl." Gabriella blushed, embarrassed by his attention. She was glad she was wearing the blue-ripped tank top and close-fitting jeans. She smiled back at him, her heart pounding with excitement. "I was real tight with Taylor last year, real tight," Troy said. "She was old for her age. I mean, she didn't act like any middle schooler. She had a grudge against the world, and she was out to prove something. Well, we did drugs, both of us, and they messed with my mind real bad. Yeah, I got rough with her, but it was the drugs doin' the violence, Ella, I swear it was the drugs, and now I'm clean. I ain't no fool. I wouldn't mess with no drugs again for no reason, and I wouldn't hit no girl. Never," Troy said solemnly, pulling out of the school lot.

"She was really crazy about you, Troy," Gabi said. "She cut out pictures of you playing basketball. She even made a scrapbook just so to look at you when you weren't there." "Well, I don't know about that, but I do know that she was crazy," Troy said. "She was into shoplifting, and she ran away from home. Like I said, I give her credit for movin' on now. I give her a lot of credit for that." Gabriella enjoyed listening to Troy. He seemed friendly and respectful, nothing like the violent person Taylor had described. She felt flattered to be with him, riding in his car.

Troy pulled up in front of Baskin Robbins, an ice cream shop not far from Gabriella's apartment. "Whatever you want, it's yours," Troy said, reaching over and running his hand along Gabriella's cheek. She was speechless. "I know you said straight home, but you ain't gonna stop a man from buyin' you some ice cream, are you?" "Well…okay," Gabi said, smiling. His hand seemed strong but gentle. It was impossible to imagine him ever being violent. Gabriella believed what he said.

The drugs had made him a dangerous person, but he was different now. "You just gotta try this mint cookie swirl," Troy said. "I'll order us both one." "Okay," Gabi said going along with his suggestion. Sitting in Troy's car, Gabriella felt touched by magic. She had not felt that way since she was five and played a fairy princess at a school play, wearing a sparkling tiara and silver slippers. "This is really good," Gabriella said, tasting the ice cream.

"What'd I tell you? I know all the cool spots. If you trust me, Gabriella, we can have a real good time together." As soon as they finished eating, Troy dropped Gabriella off at her apartment, and she went running up the stairs to bring her mother the good news. What a day it had been! Gabriella could hardly believe all she would have missed if she had become a cartoonist for the school, and she had a handsome boy show interest in her. For once, she had something that might make her mother proud. She burst into the apartment eager to share the day's news.

_***I hope you loved this chapter! Please review!* **_

_**~Zanessa4Life101**_


End file.
